Stout as 1st all grain?

[ronstar55]

I'm thinking of doing a stout. But should I attempt a stout for my first all grain? Or something else? I've done 6 extract batches. I'm ready to move on.

 

[HOPCousin]

Go for it. Do you have the mash tun for all that grain?
I did a Founder's Breakfast clone for my first AG and it has been my best beer so far. In fact... it keeps getting better as we type.
Just need a good mash ton to maintain those temps.

 

[jmick]

I think a stout would be a good choice. Most people would say that the darker beers tend to mask potential off flavors better than lighter styles. But if you are already good about sanitation and controlling fermentation temps, whatever you make should turn out fine.

 

[JBrady]

I think a stout would be a excellent choice for your first. The style lends itself to masking imperfections.

 

[avidhomebrewer]

As others have said, a stout is a perfect choice for your first ag brew. You can go with an average strength brew and end up with about 8-10# of grain, which will easily fit in a 5 gallon kettle/mash cooler. Go with Wyeast 1056 or 1084 (or whatever the conversion is for wl).

 

[lumpher]

I say go for it too. i have a chocolate stout going, and i use s-04 dry yeast (in case you want to use dry yeasts)

 

[ronstar55]

Thanks for the advice!

I went to Home Depot last week for a cooler for the mash tun. I couldn't find one - the girls at the front desk said they were out of season and they didn't have any. I explained to an older guy working there that I needed one to make beer. That perked him to the point where he searched up to the rafters until he found one. Now I have to get the mash tun innards, and then get the beer ingredients for a Sunday brew.

 

[lumpher]

see if you can find any local brewers who will help you. that really got me going back when

 

[ronstar55]

see if you can find any local brewers who will help you. that really got me going back when

My niece's husband and the guy at the brew store have helped immensely so far, and I won't hesitate to ask for more help.

 

[HOPCousin]

Here's a link to the founder's clone if you interested. It's for a 3.2 gallon batch.
http://hopville.com/recipe/299990/american-stout-recipes/breakfast-stout

If you don't add the coffee or the chocolate it can just be an oatmeal stout. Make sure your stout age in the bottle for a while. This one is aorund 8% and tastes good now but gets better around 6-9 months.

 

[ronstar55]

Thanks, I have read that stouts should age a while - good thing I have about 150 bottles of my previous batches stockpiled to last the winter

 

[tippetsnapper]

Brew whatever you think would taste awesome in a stout, then sample a bottle here and there to evaluate how it tastes. I think you might find that you have a winner earlier than later.

 

[HOPCousin]

You can brew different ones and different alcohol percentages. Do you have a favorite that you drink yourself?

 

[ronstar55]

I like pale ales, IPA's, and the harvest ale I just brewed. But I've had maybe 20 stouts recently, and I'm getting attached to them. Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin is awesome. Nothing is better than a steak dinner with a few stouts.

 

[passedpawn]

IMO, from easiest to most difficult (to pull off a drinkable beer):
Stout
German Wheat (hefe)
IPA
Pale Ale
.
.
.
Lagers
Light Lagers
Sour Beers

 

[motobrewer]

i'd say go for it, but i'll disagree that stouts are the easiest AG to pull off.

if you have very soft water (like me), you'll get a bit of an acidic twang on your darker beers.

I'd say medium-color beers (ESB, red, amber, ipa) are probably the easiest AG to pull off.